HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Ask people in the know at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County or Leadership Huntsville/Madison County for good examples of businesses that give back to the community and you hear a constant refrain.

Newberry is the president and chief executive officer of the Huntsville-based credit union, which has more that 330,000 members.

He returned to Huntsville and Redstone Federal in early 2008 after serving as president and CEO of Achieva Credit Union in Largo, Fla.

He had previously worked at Redstone Federal for 13 years and was the executive vice president of communications and lending before leaving for Florida.

After spending a few minutes talking with Newberry, it is obvious that community service and involvement is a passion of his and of the credit union. He has served with several boards and organizations, including the American Red Cross, United Way, Rotary Club, U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Alabama Constitution Village Foundation.

He answered our 10 Questions on the importance of businesses giving back to the community.

What is Redstone Federal's philosophy about giving back to the community?

Giving back to the community is essential to Redstone Federal Credit Union (RFCU). It is what being a credit union is all about: a group of people helping each other not for profit but for service - a true cooperative. This mission of service can be found at all levels of the credit union, starting with our board of directors. Being volunteers themselves, they set a great example for everyone as they serve the credit union through giving many hours of their time as well as their expertise. They inspire and encourage everyone at the credit union to practice the 100/0 principle: giving all and expecting nothing in return.

As the top executive at the credit union, how do you see your role personally in setting the example for community service and involvement?

I believe in leading by example. People's beliefs are formed by what they experience, so if our staff observes management involved in the community, they are more likely to become involved themselves. We also look for a talent of mission of service in our job applicants; whether it's past community involvement or excellent customer service, it all makes for a strong employee morale, which makes for a better credit union.

How did you develop a passion for serving and giving back to the community?

Primarily by becoming involved in United Way agencies, I began to understand that our purpose in life is to serve others. I encourage everyone to serve by finding an organization that aligns with their personal values. By surrounding yourself with people who want to serve, your passion of service just continues to grow. It is like the mustard seed that's just so tiny, but once planted and nourished it grows to unbelievable heights.

What kind of programs in Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley does Redstone Federal support and get involved in?

RFCU supports programs benefiting a wide representation of our membership, such as schools, most major nonprofit organizations, as well as charities based here in the communities we serve. Since we started out on a military base and are proud to honor the men and women who serve and have served our country, we are strong supporters of military and veteran programs.

Is there one program or initiative that you are particularly proud Redstone Federal got involved in during the last year or so?

I am still amazed at the level of service our employees put forward during the recovery period of the April 27 tornadoes.

We had employees who suffered personal losses of their own, yet still came in to help our membership. During this time, what our members needed was cash. This area quickly turned into a cash-based society, and we responded by getting many ATMs up within the first 24 hours.

RFCU also turned over our Highway 53 branch office to local authorities to serve as their headquarters. We also served as a collection point for donations to several charities, to which RFCU made sizable donations. Our employees worked so hard and showed their commitment of service time and time again. We had several employees who had prepared to cook for WhistleStop, but diverted their efforts to cooking and feeding the local community instead. I still cannot believe the passion of all the employees who joined in that effort to make and deliver thousands of barbecue sandwiches.

From talking with your employees at Redstone Federal, how important is it to them to be involved in the community?

In recent years, high school and college graduates have been seeking employers that give back to the community, and we have seen this passion here as well. They might be attracted to Redstone Federal Credit Union due to our reputation of giving to the community and then stay when they see how we live out our mission of service at so many different levels.

Our employees find it very gratifying to be able to serve our members and participate as volunteers during RFCU-sponsored events. I'm very proud to say we have hundreds of employees serving as volunteers, on their own time, in various organizations in the Tennessee Valley, including approximately 50 who serve in a leadership capacity at those organizations.

In this challenging economy, is it tempting to cut back on giving and community involvement?

In times like these, the community needs even more help, and here at RFCU, we are looking for ways to reach more people in need, as well as encouraging our staff to spend more time volunteering. As challenging as the economy has been, RFCU continues to grow. Our strong history of safety and soundness is a beacon for those tired of dealing with large banks that exist to profit only stockholders. Our increase in membership of approximately 1,000 new members per month over the last few years continues to reinforce support of our commitment to community involvement.

How does Redstone Federal decide what community programs to get involved in?

RFCU aligns our community contributions to reflect our membership. We do this through a Community Involvement Committee that considers the impact of the contribution to the local area, the staff and our corporate values. RFCU annually supports more than 300 community organizations through sponsorships, advertising, donated items, use of facility and more. The majority of support is provided locally; however, on a broader scale, the credit union members have raised funds (donations matched by RFCU) to aid with disasters worldwide.

By many accounts, Huntsville companies are known for community service. Why do you think companies in our area give back so willingly?

Huntsville is a highly educated and ethnically diverse town. When people from so many different cultures and backgrounds come together, they seem to inspire each other to do better things. Everyone wants to leave future generations a strong legacy. We have noticed an uptick in community involvement since the events of 9/11. This increase in community involvement is no surprise given we live in a town which supports the military and our country so well.

Are there other areas of need in Huntsville or the Tennessee Valley where you would like to see your credit union get involved in the future?

Redstone Federal Credit Union continues to see a need for financial education. And while traditional education always needs our support, we are looking for ways to increase other educational outlets. These are difficult financial times for so many of our members; we want them to know they can come to RFCU to obtain advice and we are actively spreading this message to our members. When members are going through any life event, our desired result is that our members will utilize their cooperative to receive trusted advice throughout their lifetime.